Assaulted Women: Where to Get Help if You are an Assaulted Woman

Physical violence against a woman is obviously a form of abuse, but so is a subtle verbal assault. The Assaulted Women’s Helpline explains: “Abuse can take many forms – physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, and financial or neglect.”

If you are a woman living in an abusive situation, there are help services available. The services include counseling, legal advice, shelter, support groups and more. Most of them offer translation services. They also provide help whether you are a documented immigrant or not. When you use the Internet to find resources, make sure you take precaution to not leave a track of where you have been.

In an emergency, your first call should be 911.

1. Crisis Lines
If you are a victim of sexual violence, you can call crisis lines to get immediate counseling over the phone. Most of them provide services in different languages or offer translation. Most are 24-hour, every day services. Depending on your need they will do referrals to counseling services, legal support, shelters, housing, and more. Your immigration status is not important to get service. And you will not be required to identify yourself. When you call them, your name will not be displayed. If you are not in an emergency situation, crisis lines are a good resource to start with.
● Alberta Province-wide: Tel: 1-866-331-3933
● Edmonton Tel: 780-423-4121, TTY: 780-420-1482, Web: www.sace.ab.ca
● Calgary Tel: 403-237-5888, Web: www.calgarycasa.com
● Victim Link, (across British Columbia and Yukon) Tel: 1-800-563-0808, Web:www.victimlinkbc.ca/
● Battered Women’s Support Services Tel: 604.687.1867, Web: www.bwss.org
● Saskatchewan Province-wide Tel: 306-825-8255, Web: www.lsaic.com, (Service in English)
● Saskatoon Tel: 1-888-338-0880
● Regina Tel: 306-352-0434
● See list of numbers for different cities in Saskatchewan at Abuse Help Lines Web: www.abusehelplines.org/abuse_help_lines.php
● Manitoba Province-wide, Klinic Community Health Centre Tel: 1-888-292-7565 (Toll-free in Manitoba)
● TTY 784-4097, Tel: 204-786-8631 in Winnipeg, Web:www.klinic.mb.ca/counsel-sexual.htm

3. Shelters
If you decide to leave home and stay somewhere safe, there are several shelters for abused women where you can stay. Immigration status doesn’t matter to get service. Most shelters offer translation services. In addition to providing you a place to stay, shelters help with counselling, legal advice, housing support, and more.
From anywhere in Canada, you can find a shelter close to you by using this website that provides service in 10 languages: www.shelternet.ca.
● Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters Tel: 1-866-331-3933 Web: www.acws.ca/map.php
● Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter Tel: (604) 872-8212, Web: www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/
● Manitoba Women’s Shelters, province-wide, toll-free: 1-877-977-0007, Web: www.maws.mb.ca/where_can_i_go.htm
● YWCA Westman Women’s Shelter, Winnipeg Tel: (204) 727-3644, Toll-free in Manitoba 1-877-977-0007
● Saskatoon Interval House, Tel: 306-244- 0185, Web: www.saskatoonintervalhouse.org/
● Regina Transition House, Tel: 306-569-2292, Web: www.reginatransitionhouse.ca/
See list of numbers for different cities in Saskatchewan at Abuse Help Lines

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